Organolithium reagents aldehydes

These compounds are sources of the nucleophilic anion RC=C and their reaction with primary alkyl halides provides an effective synthesis of alkynes (Section 9 6) The nucleophilicity of acetylide anions is also evident m their reactions with aldehydes and ketones which are entirely analogous to those of Grignard and organolithium reagents... 

Reaction of organolithium reagents with aldehydes and ketones (Section... 

Organolithium reagents react with aldehydes and ketones in a manner similar to that of Grignard reagents to form alcohols... 

All that has been said in this section applies with equal force to the use of organo-lithium reagents in the synthesis of alcohols. Grignard reagents are one source of nucleophilic carbon organolithium reagents are another. Both have substantial carbanionic char acter in their- car bon-metal bonds and undergo the same kind of reaction with aldehydes and ketones. 

Table 17.2 summarizes the reactions of aldehydes and ketones that you ve seen in earlier chapters. All are valuable tools to the synthetic chemist. Carbonyl groups provide access to hydrocarbons by Clemmensen or Wolff-Kishner reduction (Section 12.8), to alcohols by reduction (Section 15.2) or by reaction with Grignard or organolithium reagents (Sections 14.6 and 14.7). 

The Addition of Grignard Reagents and Organolithium Reagents to Aldehydes and Ketones... 

Alkyltriphenylphosphonium halides are only weakly acidic, and a strong base must be used for deprotonation. Possibilities include organolithium reagents, the anion of dimethyl sulfoxide, and amide ion or substituted amide anions, such as LDA or NaHMDS. The ylides are not normally isolated, so the reaction is carried out either with the carbonyl compound present or with it added immediately after ylide formation. Ylides with nonpolar substituents, e.g., R = H, alkyl, aryl, are quite reactive toward both ketones and aldehydes. Ylides having an a-EWG substituent, such as alkoxycarbonyl or acyl, are less reactive and are called stabilized ylides. 

Scheme 7.4 illustrates some of the important synthetic reactions in which organolithium reagents act as nucleophiles. The range of reactions includes S/v2-(ype alkylation (Entries 1 to 3), epoxide ring opening (Entry 4), and formation of alcohols by additions to aldehydes and ketones (Entries 5 to 10). Note that in Entry 2, alkylation takes place mainly at the 7-carbon of the allylic system. The ratio favoring 7-alkylation... 

By modification of method A, Jones has transformed 2,4-bis-OBoc-benzy-aldehyde 5 into the 3-carbomethoxy dihydrocoumarin 43 in 68% yield (Fig. 4.23).lla The reaction proceeds by the addition of phenyl Grignard followed by addition of a preformed mixture of methyl malonate and sodium hydride and warming to room temperature. This particular example obviates the need for prior initiation by an organolithium reagent. 

Organolithium reagent 35 was added to aldehyde 31 (Scheme 7.6) to obtain alcohol 36 as an inconsequential 1 1 mixture of diastereomers. The benzylic alcohol was removed using a Barton two-step radical deoxygenation protocol, followed by electrophilic aromatic bromination to provide the desired coupling partner 37. 

The conversion of a Grignard or an organolithium reagent to an aldehyde has been accomplished by a variety of reagents. The methods include such reagents as N-ethoxymethyleneaniline 2 ethyl ortho-formate 2" p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde 25 dimethyl formamide 3 a... 

Scheme 2.38 Functionalized allenes formed by 1,4-addition of organolithium reagents to enynes and electrophilic trapping with aldehydes (111, 112) ketones (113,114), ethylene oxide (115) and carbon dioxide (116).

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